Get Schooled

By Lee

August 31, 2006 02:47 PM | Link to this

Graduation Coach? Isn’t that what counselors are supposed to be doing?

Personally, I’m glad to see an administrator who doesn’t jump onto every passing fad just because the state is paying for it.

By Jim in Marietta

August 31, 2006 03:32 PM | Link to this

A graduation coach…more proof that the public school system has its head so far up its butt that it will never recover. Think…When you have to spend tax payer’s money to hire someone to attempt to incentivize kids to do something that they should want to do of their own accord, then YOU HAVE FAILED MISERABLY AT TRYING TO EDUCATE THAT PERSON. At this point, if you think pouring even more money into your efforts is going to help you are delusional.

By Laf

August 31, 2006 03:51 PM | Link to this

This sounds like an excellent program to me for school systems that have a serious drop out rate problem. Counselors have such a variety of duties, they are not able to spend that much time on this area. No you probably don't need one if this graduation rate problem doesn't exist in this school. I would like for this graduation coach pay be based entirely on the graduation rate. If the graduation rate doesn't meet the standard he will be immediately replaced with another graduation coach. In other words---do or get out. He would not be required to teach any classes. This would just divert his attention from his do or get out job. There are many stumbling blocks in our schools and communities that contribute to our low graduation rates in Georgia. Inadequate parenting skills, lack of counseling, inappropriate curriculums, poor community environments, and teachers who lack the desire, skills or compassion to understand the needs of the disadvantaged student. The graduation coach would certainly have a full time job in some of

our high schools. Thanks Sonny Perdue for taking an interest in these students.

By OldSchool

August 31, 2006 04:21 PM | Link to this

Sounds to me like a good way to get yet another football coach on staff.

By MMM

August 31, 2006 04:29 PM | Link to this

All taxpayer money has strings attached.

I respect someone who looks at the strings, looks at their specific situation, and then walks away if the whole package does not make sense.

In this case it sounds like the Fayette folks made a common sense decision, were told it was politically embarrasing, waivered, then held firm. Good for them.

By HB

August 31, 2006 04:31 PM | Link to this

It does sound like a guidance counselor, doesn’t it? Sadly, at my own high school, the guidance counselors didn’t interact much with students at risk of dropping out. They focused on the top achievers, paying special attention to those most likely to earn scholarships that in turn made the school look good. Even students who did very well in school, but not well enough to go to top colleges or win academic scholarships, were largely ignored, even when they took the initiative and went to the office to ask for help. If this sort of elitist attitude exists in others schools too, then it needs to stop. Identify the problem at individual schools and fix it — don’t waste tax dollars by adding a new position to EVERY school!

Of course, the governor’s one-size-fits-all solution to the drop-out program is simple to understand and at least appears to attack the drop out problem — plays well in a campaign speech…

By JustMe

August 31, 2006 04:39 PM | Link to this

Conselors? I thought that was a title that meant “to do nothing, to close the door and nap, to get others to do your work.”

By Lisa B.

August 31, 2006 05:39 PM | Link to this

Our school counselors spends much of their time doing Registrar work, since our school system cut those positions. They also have breakfast, lunch and bus duty. Oh, yes, they sometimes have a few minutes to counsel troubled students. I guess that without all those clerks around to send, process and receive student records, our school system has a chance of meeting the new 65% law that says 65% of school funds must be spent in classrooms. I wonder if the graduation coach fits into that 65%

By catlady

August 31, 2006 06:01 PM | Link to this

Way, to go, Fayette! Now show us how to give the razzberry to NCLB!

By MMM

August 31, 2006 06:36 PM | Link to this

Wait a minute. There are aspects of NCLB that I think are useful. Flawed and incomplete though the criteria may be, it is the ONLY empirical data a parent is given—-and we all know how prone to BS administrators are.

Neighborhood whispering is also subject to much self-serving bias as well as other less savory stereotyping. At least now places like McNair and Crim are being focused on—-I would rather debate why and what should change than pretend that the problems don’t exist.

By SET

August 31, 2006 07:00 PM | Link to this

You have to go to the general rule. You back the administrator as long as the issue is within his or her discretion. You fire the administrator when he or she doesn’t produce results required.

So whatever the real reasons are I’m sure the administrator has one and you can’t publicly tear down your staff - and these administrators are our public staff - everytime they make a simple decision. I don’t know what I would have done anyway because you hire these people to get into all the information and make your decisions for you. I can’t possibly know all the pros and cons - I’m not privy to them.

The grad coach programs sounds useful, it sounds like an extra counselor position. Of course there are strings attached and if I was funding an extra counselor I might require them not to be in a classroom teaching.

Good luck to all. I can be very critical but I keep it within bounds - especially public criticism of named individuals.

By SNY

September 1, 2006 09:41 AM | Link to this

I think that most of us understand that this program is just another one of Sonny’s ways to get people to believe that he cares about our children. We all know that the man lies and doesn’t care. (Well, maybe not all of us.) This program is not going to work. What is going to happen when the parent of one of this needy kids comes to school and yells and screams about this person? If the school administration isn’t going to back the new counselor up then we are right back where we started. Only we are paying one more person. This position is just one more person that is going to be dogged on.

Good luck to anyone who accepts this position! Any takers? I know that I would love to do it. (I’m being serious)

By Nel

September 1, 2006 10:03 AM | Link to this

Seems like this says High School Counselors either are dong a lousy job, or their job description no longer involves “counseling” the children who need to be counseled. I know a few dedicated school administrators who could put that $40k to some serious day-to-day use right now.

By MMM

September 1, 2006 10:41 AM | Link to this

SNY Politicians—all of them—don’t know how to “fix” these problems. Top down solutions can’t fix bottom-up problems—only bottom-up accountablity and desire will.

But I’m afraid that I must defend Sonny on at least one particular point. Two years ago he suggested that language that would fix some math errors in the funding formula for charter schools be attached to one of his education bills late in the session when it otherwise would have died that year.

Without that fix, my children’s school would probably have gone under by now.

Our educational funding system is so screwed up that only a very small number of folks actually understand it enough to recognize the error. Sonny had the grace to accept language written by a political enemy, who happens to be one of the few folks technically competent to restate the algorithm that should apply correctly.

By SNY

September 1, 2006 11:03 AM | Link to this

MMM,

You are correct, most people do not understand (including me), but does that mean that we give politicians praise for doing 1 thing right? We need to hold them to higher standards than that. They should deliver on what they promise. Period. Or don’t promise it. Of course, that is in SNY-land, not the real world. I’m glad that your school is still open but what about the problems EVERYWHERE else? We can not and should not forget about those. We’ll see if this works, if not I guess it’s back to the drawing board we go.

By MMM

September 1, 2006 11:43 AM | Link to this

SNY—You are right that 1 thing isn’t enough, that is why I qualified my statement the way I did.

I just want to reflect that no problem can be “fixed” without atacking it’s root cause. The problems are many and the roots are in our families, values, expectations, traditions, paradiams, administrative commitment, AND the politicians that forcus on their own re-election by blaming others. There is no one solutions—but we will improve when we start working on what we each see. The reason I like this blog is because the majority of the other posters care. Thank you SNY for your heartfelt responce.

By SNY

September 1, 2006 12:25 PM | Link to this

MMM,

Do you think that any of the politician or people that can make a real difference even read this blog? I would really like to know, wouldn’t you?

By MMM

September 1, 2006 01:48 PM | Link to this

I think that you and the other regular posters to this blog ARE making a difference so the answer is yes. It is hard, which is why this is a useful place to reflect.

I don’t know if any politicians read it, but I stopped using my real name some time back when I realized that they might be. If patti puts this in the AJC a few will.

By Holly Stevens

September 4, 2006 08:49 AM | Link to this

As a child, she once stood by while a friend taunted another friend, and she felt diminished. Later, she bravely intervened in a similar situation and found herself empowered. Today, Lincoln, Mass., storyteller and mental health counselor Elisa Pearmain shares her stories and draws out the stories of others in her bullying prevention workshops. Read her essay “Once upon a caring classroom: Bullying prevention through story” in today’s issue of The Storyteller and the Listener Online.

Full graphics URL: http://storyteller-and-listener.blog-city.com/elisapearmain.htm (Functions like a newsletter) Text-only URL: http://storyteller-and-listener-text-only.blog-city.com/currentessay.htm (New! Functions like a blog, with readers comments enabled)

The Storyteller and the Listener Online, a noncommercial blog-newsletter, publishes two guest essays each month on the role of story and narrative in peacemaking, healing, bridge building and reconciliation in local communities. Essays and readers come from all over the English-speaking world. Essay proposals are welcome; contact editor Holly Stevens at healing_stories@mac.com